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Some of the migrants are from African nations, particularly Eritrea and Somalia, while others have fled war-torn Syria, officials say.

According to the European border agency Frontex, more than 12,000 illegal migrants were detected off Sicily and 8,000 off Lampedusa in the third quarter of last year.

Many of those arriving on Italy's shores have set sail from Libya, the agency said.

The deaths of more than 300 African migrants in a shipwreck off Lampedusa last October shocked Italy and the world, and led to calls for EU lawmakers to review their migration policies.

International organizations such as the U.N. refugee agency have called on European and other leaders to try to address the root causes of migration and to create legal alternatives to dangerous sea crossings.